Music and Lyrics
by LeShipsDestiel
Summary: AU: Dean was a famous celebrity before his band disintegrated. Now he sings at informal occasions and earns his living. He is approached by Jo, to write lyrics for her new song. Dean's job is made easy when his computer guy happens to be an awesome lyricist. Based on the movie 'Music and Lyrics'.
1. Autumn in New York

**Author's Note: Hey guys! This is my first fic here and IDK why, but I am kinda nervous. It is based on the movie 'Music and Lyrics'. I totally loved that movie and decided that I should write a Destiel fic based on it. However, I've made some changes in the fic. But the plot remains the same, almost.  
English is not my native language, so there might be few (or many, IDK) grammatical errors. So feel free to point them out. I would appreciate it, a lot. =D **

_**Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own any of the characters present in this fic. They rightly and utterly belong to Eric Kripke and the show 'Supernatural'. If they belonged to me, I would've already paired them up together in the show *winks*. Also, I do not own the movie 'Music and Lyrics'. They belong rightfully to their creators, etc. My motive for writing this story is not money, it's the sheer pleasure I get writing Destiel. I hope this works. I am not looking forward to a lawsuit being filed against **_

**Thanks a lot to Snehi, my bessie for being my beta reader. ^^**

* * *

_"Dreamers with empty hands  
May sigh for exotic lands  
It's autumn in New York  
It's good to live it again."_**  
**

_~Billie Holiday._

* * *

"This is not fair Sammy. AT ALL. Look at me; here I am living in a $5500 per month rental apartment while that stupid son of a bitch is getting his ass pampered in a I-don't-know-how-many-million-dollars mansion!" Dean Winchester said, kicking the leather bean bag furiously across the room.

Dean Winchester was the member of the hit, or rather super hit band 'Northern Remains' of the early 2000s'. All the music albums of 'Northern Remains' topped the charts. The main mind behind the success of the band? It was Dean Winchester. It was his idea to create this band. Since the day he was born, it was his dream to have a band of his own. He loved the legendary band- Led Zeppelin. They served as an idol for the young boy. His father wanted him to be a car mechanic and carry on the family business, but he rebelled. He wanted to follow his dreams, which was to create a band.

He left Lawrence, his hometown with his 'baby', which was the beautiful '67 Chevy Impala and came to New York City. After spending several nights in the car or in a really tacky motel, he finally found the guy he was looking for. Here, he met Andrew, or Andy. Both of them instantly clicked. Both of them shared the same dream. Dean lead, Andy followed. Finally they found the other two guys, who would serve as the drummer and the guitarist for the band. After two whole years of dedication and sheer determination, Dean was successful in recording his band's first album 'Medieval Castle'. 'Medieval Castle' was instantly liked by the critics and the album topped the charts. They were approached by a huge, multinational recording company .But he decided to let Andy be the lead singer, while he preferred being the guitarist. He trusted Andy, which was the biggest mistake he had ever made.

For three years consecutively, they ruled the charts. Until one day, Andy betrayed and left the band because he was approached by a bigger company. The band disintegrated. Dean's dreams were shattered. He was broken; but yet he coped and didn't show a single emotion of hurt, he kept smiling, he continued conning the world with his charming smile, while deep down inside, he was utterly and completely crushed. He somehow managed and got out of this whole situation. Although his career was completely decayed, he still received a few requests to sing at certain festivals and occasions. He wanted to leave NYC and go back to Lawrence and get in the family business, but he was egoistic and prideful and he didn't want his dad to give him the biggest 'I told you so' lecture. So instead, he stayed in NYC and earned his living by singing at those small and less important occasions. His brother, Sam Winchester, decided to move to NYC to complete his study in law and help his brother in any way possible. He decided to be Dean's part time agent/manager.

Dean was completely fine. He was fine, until he saw the news. According to the reports, Andy apparently had bought a new mansion, signed up a deal for his own, personalized perfume and had apparently started a clothing line. Rumors have it that he was going to collaborate with the 'Flock of Seagulls'.

Dean tried holding his anger together, but he couldn't since he isn't Mr. Anger Management, and so the volcano of anger burning inside the older Winchester burst opened.

"Hey, hey, Dean, c'mon don't go breaking all the stuff just to get your anger out." Sam said, holding his brother with his hands placed firmly on the older Winchester's shoulder blades. Sam was frustrated and furious too, but he had to be calm for Dean. If both the brother's got angry, then even God can't save the planet. "He's a jerk ass. Everybody knows that. He doesn't deserve your attention."

Dean rolled his eyes and snapped back to his brother, "If everybody knows that he is a jerk ass then why is he always the big slash hot shot and how is everything he does making the headlines?"

Sam didn't know what to reply to his brother because talking to his brother when he is extremely furious is of no use. He stood there quietly for a while, letting Dean do whatever he wanted to cool off his anger.

"Flock of Seagulls, dude? Seriously? We toured with them in 2001 or 2 I guess, and we beat them severely. They cried like little girls." Dean said, kicking this life out of that poor bean bag.

Dean continued ranting for fifteen minutes before he was kind of cooled off. Sam took this opportunity to say something that he had wanted to say twenty five minutes ago, before he was attacked by the fork thrown towards him by his extremely angry brother.

"Uhh…Alright, listen. I've got something to say."

Dean threw a death glare towards his brother that completely said that 'This better be good or I'll break that nose of yours, you moose!' Sam gave him his bitch face #34 and ignored the look on his brother.

"You've been at my liquor." Dean said, giving another death glare to his brother. Both the brothers shared such a deep and unfathomed bond that they both could read each others' mind. Surprising, but true.

Sam fidgeted and finally broke down. "Yes. And do you know why?" Getting no response from his brother but another death glare, Sam continued to speak. "Because of her." He showed Dean the cover of 'Rolling Stone' that read 'Zen-sational Jo Beth' with a girl dressed in a hippie outfit.

"Who is she? Porn star? Jeez Sammy, I thought you said you didn't watch porn? My brother's all grown up! You, my brother, have made me proud." Dean teased, with a grim expression on his face.

Sam was surprised that his brother didn't know who Jo Beth was. Maybe it was because of the fact that Dean sticks to old school classic rock and refuse to acknowledge the present music trends; and also because he ignores reading newspapers (or ignores reading anything at all!)

He turned a color of peach blossom and spoke up, "Its Sam. And no, she is NOT a porn star Dean. Get your mind out of the gutter. She is Jo Beth. Biggest star in the world. Bigger than Britney and Christina put together. And guess who she loves?"

Dean had look of a complete loon on his face, still not catching what Sam was trying to say so he replied chuckling, "Her country?"

Sam shook his head, in disbelief that that this dumbass was his brother. "You, jerk."

"Bitch. Me?" Dean said, wide eyed and dumbfounded. "After all, I was the hottest one in the band. Of course she loves me! Everybody loves me! I guess it's because of my perky nipples. Don't you think, Sammy?" Dean chuckled.

Sam, like always ignored what his brother said, except the 'Sammy' part. "It's Sam. S-A-M, Sam. It's a three lettered name, Dean. Even a nine month old child can say that!" Sam took a deep breath and calmed himself. "Never mind. She's a huge 'Northern Remains' fan Dean, and she wants to meet you."

Dean stood in disbelief. His mind couldn't even interpret what Sam was trying to say. He was too shocked to know that that big shot bigger-than-Christina-and-Britney-put-together star wanted to meet him. Sam understood his brother very well, just the way Dean understood him. So he started speaking again, "Jo Beth, man! That is a really big opportunity D. You can't just ignore it. You gotta take it. Grab t-"

Sam was cut off by Dean who decided to speak up, out of nowhere, "All right. Wait, wait, wait. Is it even a good idea? Pros and Cons."

Sam walked up to the sleek velvety polyester couch and sat down with his elbows on his knees and started thinking. Dean just looked at him with a blank expression on his face, waiting for his brother's answer.

Sam animadverted, "Pros: She's a huge star, great publicity, terrific money."

Dean agreed and asked, "Cons?"

"No matter what you do, in fifty-sixty years, we'll both be dead."

Dean sighed and closed his eyes, trying to think what to do. "Okay. Huge star, great publicity, terrific money versus eventual death. I think we have to think about it." Dean said, nodding. "Yeah."

"Okay good, because Jo is shooting a video tonight. She wants to meet both of us right after." Sam said, taking out his BlackBerry from the back pocket, and started typing furiously.

Dean shocked, again at the sudden announcement, opined "Tonight? You had this whole thing planned, didn't you?" Sam looked up at him with his puppy face #3, which immediately worked up its way to Dean's heart. Realizing what his brother was doing to him, Dean cussed 'Bitch' under his breath which was immediately replied with a 'Jerk' from Sam.

Sam put down his BlackBerry on the table and stood up, and posed like 'Superman'. "Tonight, we meet Jo, brother." Sam announced.

Dean looked up at his brother and stared with wide eyes. "You look like a Giant 'Supermoose', Sasquatch." Dean chuckled, which earned him the infamous bitch face #23 from Sam.

* * *

**This is it! I know you expected to see Cas in this chapter and I am so sorry, coz if I included Cas in this chapter, it would've ruined the whole story line. But don't worry; Cas will surely be in the next (or the next-to-next chapter, IDK.) Remember, 'Patience is a virtue'. ;)  
Thanks a lot for reading this. Please review. Each reviewer receives a hug from shirtless Cas! =D And many cyber hugs from me, but I guess that's not much intriguing. So let's stick with Castiel. xD**

_**Thanks again,**_  
_**Evangeline.**_  
_**xoxo**_


	2. Follow that dream

**Hey guys! I know it took me very long to update, but I was busy and jumbled up between work and studies and blah blah blah. But never mind that. Here is the second chapter of 'Music and Lyrics'. I hope you guys like it =D**

**Thanks a lot to ****Extra-fried-noodles**** for being my first reviewer. If it wasn't for you, I would've stopped writing this fic. **

**And many many thanks to ****KittyBits**** because your comment gave me the hope that I can write better and it made me more determined than ever, which helped me write these chapters. **

**Many hugs from shirtless Cas to you, guys! =D**

**_Beta'd by Snehi Shah._  
**

_**Disclaimer: Again, I do NOT own anything. All the characters, songs, etc. belong to their respective owners, creators, etc.**_

* * *

"_When your heart gets restless, time to move along  
When your heart gets weary, time to sing a song  
But when a dream is calling you,  
There's just one thing that you can do  
Well, you gotta follow that dream wherever that dream may lead  
You gotta follow that dream to find the love you need."_

_~Elvis Presley._

* * *

Sam and Dean stared at the young and 'zen-sational' star with wide eyes and open mouths. Evidently the young blonde was recording a new video for her new song 'Buddhist Delight'. She was wearing an outfit which barely covered her at all. The dance steps looked more like the various sex positions used in a pornographic movie. She was being groped by seemingly attractive brown haired guys; and she wiggled her butt towards the camera for almost forty seconds. For once, Sam actually thought that they might have entered in the wrong studio where a porn movie was being made. Dean, whereas was practically drooling over her.

'I have a whore as my brother', Sam thought, inwardly rolling his eyes.

"_I want a revelation and sweet salvation__  
__and the eternal fire__  
__Show me the eternal fire  
I've got to have my Buddha's delight__  
__Om Shanti Shanti__  
__I've got to have my Buddha's delight__  
__Om Shanti Shanti"_

The song continued to play in the background with Jo dancing to it, when Sam decided to speak up. "She seems like a very spiritual kid", he said motioning his hands so that his brother could understand what he was saying in this loud atmosphere.

Dean, who had his eyes practically glued to the whole scenario, replied chuckling, "Yeah. It's nice to see a young woman exploring religion."

Sam glared at his brother and gave him his bitch face #17, while his brother continued salivating.

The video finally came to an end with Jo being groped again by some hippie guys and the director saying 'cut!' in a very loud and pitchy voice. Sam gave a sigh of relief, glad that this 'whatever' it was, was finally over; whereas, his brother sighed for the complete opposite reason.

As soon as the director said 'Terrific!', Sam and Dean were approached by a not-so-short-but-kinda-short guy well dressed stranger. The man wore a form fitting black suit that was undoubtedly tailored, his hands in the pockets of his suit jacket. He was older than Dean but handsome in an elegant sort of way, carrying himself in a manner that demanded respect and attention. Dean hated to admit it, but he was kind of, or really jealous of the guy's classiness and posh appearance.

"Hello darlings, I'm Crowley, Jo's manager." He said, shaking his hands with Sam, followed by Dean. He had this really strong British accent, which again, made Dean jealous.

"Sam Winchester. This is-" Sam was cut off by Crowley who said, "Dean Winchester, the man behind the success of 'Northern Remains'. It's a pleasure meeting you, love." Dean was taken aback by Crowley's comment and he felt proud and self-confident, which he hadn't felt in a while. It has been a very long time since he was appreciated by someone apart from his brother.

"Jo's this way. Come on, follow me darlings." Crowley ordered, which succeeded in manipulating Dean and Sam, as they started following Crowley.

They finally entered a room, which was completely saffron red. The room looked somewhat like a Buddhist monastery, with a large, lotus shaped lamp set in one corner over a shelf which had a golden statue of Buddha and some incense sticks burning nearby. Jo was seated in another corner, with a smile on her face which could be described as 'somewhat calm and serene'. She wore a black jumpsuit which had 'Jo Beth' printed in gold over her left bosom.

'From an erotica environment to a religious atmosphere, that's quite a transformation.' Dean thought to himself, chuckling suddenly, which broke the silent ambience of the room. Sam glowered at Dean with a look which could simply be deciphered as 'what the hell, man?' .

"Jo darling, this is Dean Winchester, and his brother/manager Sam Winchester." Crowley said motioning his hands toward both the brothers.

"We loved the video. It was unbelievable." Sam said, politely, with a slight smile on his face.

Dean, taken aback by Sam's remark, looked over at his brother and said without taking his eyes off, "Yeah."

Jo rose and walked up to the brothers, with a cat like movement. "Mr. Winchester, it's a pleasure." She said, shaking her petite hands with Sam first, followed by Dean. "Your song 'Dance with me tonight' got me through my parents divorce when I was thirteen."

Dean, again, was surprised by the blonde's comment and replied chuckling, "Really? Wow. I recorded that when I was-"

The older Winchester was cut off by the petite young blonde, who started saying, "I want my fans to know the same spiritual uplift that your music gave me."

Dean, feeling excited and extremely happy for the first time in a very long time, replied, "That would be lovely. I have a few tunes. It would be nice to update."

Jo, who was kind of, dissatisfied with the answer, said, "I don't live in the past, Mr. Winchester. It was so long ago. I want you to write a new song."

Dean and Sam were both left stunned and amazed, not quite believing what Jo just said. They thought that either there was something wrong with their ears or there was nothing wrong with their hearing organs and what they heard was completely and utterly right. Dean stood enraptured, astonished. He just replied with an 'aaaahhhh' sound and Sam was about to say something when Jo started speaking again, "You see…I recently broke up with my boyfriend. We had been together for almost two months!"

Sam and Dean made some pitiful faces so that the girl would think that they knew very well how she felt, when actually they don't even give a damn about it. "Two months is a very long time. You can conquer the world in two months. I understand how you feel." Dean said in his I-am-actually-being-sarcastic-but-you-can't-see-that-I-am-being-sarcastic-coz-I-am-that-good-at-being-sarcastic tone. Only Sam could understand that he was mocking the superstar very subtly. He glared towards Dean, only to get a soft partly suppressed laugh as a reply from his brother.

"It was a terrible experience. But then I read a book by Guru Mathashavi called '_A way back into love'_. And that will be the title of our new song. And in two weeks when I open my tour at Madison Square Garden, we'll perform it together." Jo said.

Just as Dean was about to reply, Crowley stepped up and decided to meddle in. "Okay boys, here's the thing. We also wanna put the song on her new CD…which is pretty much finished, so we need it by Friday." Crowley said, taking a sip of his whiskey, Laphroaig Quarter Cask, from the exquisite looking drinking glass.

Dean, startled by the sudden surprise, said "This Friday? You mean THIS Friday?".

"Yes love, but don't feel any pressure. We've got seven other retro artists working on 'Way Back into Love', so if you blow it, we are covered." Crowley said, reassuring the two amused men standing in front of him. Dean gave a sigh of relief, and licked his lips like he always did, so elusively that only a pair of sharp eyes could detect that action.

Feeling the tension radiating from the two brothers, Jo started saying all of a sudden, "Mr. Winchester, don't look at this as a competition. If it's meant to be, it will be." Both the Winchester boys nodded, with an expression of a complete loon on their faces. "It's destiny.", Jo said. Sam turned to look towards Dean, who was still entirely and wholly horrified with the fact that he was being asked to write lyrics. Lyrics! Dean Winchester never does lyrics! Never Ever! It's a big NO for Dean. "Or not." Jo further added, which certainly earned her a glare from Dean; not the one he uses on Sam, but the milder version of it.

Jo made prayerful hands and bowed down to them and said 'Namaste', which made the brothers mimic the action and do the same thing.

* * *

Sam with his half-caf, double vanilla latte in his hand and Dean with his favorite bacon cheeseburger, were walking down the relatively empty streets of New York City, which was quite surprising because NYC is one of the cities which never sleeps.

Dean, still startled and very much astounded with the offer, decided to speak first, "Okay. What the hell was that? I can't possibly write a song by Friday! What could she be thinking of?"

Sam, tired of listening to his brother continuously complain about this really wonderful opportunity, finally couldn't hold it together and turned Dean around and said, "All right. Look, look, can I be honest with you?"

Dean, taken aback by this sudden action, replied, "You're my manger. I would have to fire you."

Trying to stay as calm as possible (since that was the only way he could deal with his brother right now), Sam simply stated- "We need this."

"Let's not be desperate. We have the state fairs, Knott's Berry Farm." Dean said, taking a bite of the greasy junk food.

"They've canceled." Sam replied. Dean completely stopped in his tracks. He slowly moved the burger away from his mouth without taking a bite of it and looked at Sam with a look of complete discontent, hopelessness mixed with shock and a little bit of hope. Hope that his brother was lying. "Knott Berry's canceled?" Dean said, like a kicked puppy who would sound exactly like Dean if he had the privilege of expressing his thoughts in speech.

Sam's heart melted immediately. At that moment, he finally realized what his brother's been going through these ten years- fight with dad, betrayal from Andy, his fall from a successful musician to a local singer; everything. And his brother survived through all this, without shedding a tear publicly. At that exact moment, Sam felt proud of his brother. For the first time in a very long time, he was grateful to God that he has such a wonderful brother- the brother that he could look upon as a role model. Without thinking, he hugged his brother. Nope, not the girly hugs, but the manly hugs. Dean, again taken aback, patted his brother strongly and said, slightly chuckling, "When did I have a sister named Samantha?"

The brothers broke away from each other's embrace and Sam exhaled and patted his brother quite heavily on his shoulders and said, "Look, we are still on for the Indiana State Fair, okay? But…"

"But….?" Dean parroted Sam's word, to which Sam replied, "But Texas and Arkansas dropped us."

"The Apple Picking?" Dean asked to confirm whether they were still on for the second last event they presently had on their list. "The Apple Picking Festival is a go but Great Adventures want only 3 nights instead of 10. All right?" Sam replied.

"My God! I had no idea. Why didn't you tell me these things? Why-?" Dean accused his brother.

Sam stopped in his tracks and turned to face Dean, "I am telling you now.", He said simply while taking the list sip of his latte. "Dean, it's been almost seven years since 'Northern Remains'. There's new old acts coming up all the time. Tears for Fears is going on tour. There's talk of a Spice Girl reunion. Ricky Martin."

"I'm dead. I'm dead. I'm dead. I'm finished. I'm finished." Dean continued ranting about how he would end up doing bar mitzvahs while Sam was trying to assure him that he's not dead and that thirteen year old kids have no idea who he was.

"Well, that's good to know." Dean replied to Sam, nodding his head. "Well, what about you? You might actually have to take on another client."

"Dean, if you remember, I am not a celebrity manager. I am a 'would-be lawyer'. I became your manager just to sort things out for you. What we gotta concentrate on is refreshing your image. Then we'll get Knott Berry's and Great Adventures, who knows? We might even get Disneyland." Sam said.

"Don't tease me. I'm very vulnerable." Dean said in his fake sad voice.

Sam rolled his eyes and said, "Tell you something, Dean. You do a song for Jo and there is spot for you in the Magic Kingdom."

Dean made a frightened face and said, "Writing a song, man. I thought I was done with the whole nightmare. It sucks! I am not good at writing songs, and you know that. "

"Just one song, Dean! That's all we need." Sam said, throwing his empty cup of latte in the nearby trash bin.

"But it's so time consuming! And I haven't written for seven years. And I need a lyricist. And it's never worked with anyone except Andy." Dean whined.

"Look, I know it's not easy to get somebody good this fast…But there's this guy. Supposedly, he's very hip and very edgy. He just worked with Avril."

"Okay, okay. Good. That would do for me. Yeah, definitely." Dean said, more to him than to his brother.

* * *

**Dun-dun-dun! Nope….no Cas in this chapter also. But don't you worry; I have uploaded the third chapter which is entirely Cas' chapter. So off you go! =D**

**Please review! I am being so nice; I at least deserve a review. =C **

**LOL xD**

**Thanks for reading.  
Evangeline  
xoxo**


	3. A well respected man

**Hey there guys! I actually wrote this as a part of 2****nd**** chapter, but then I thought that that chapter was getting extremely long and also the scene changed abruptly from Dean and Sam to Castiel. So, I made that part an another chapter. **

**There isn't much in here. Just tit-bits of Cas' life and et cetera, et cetera. The main action starts from the next chapter where there is, *drum rolls*, Cas and Dean interaction! **

**Oh and about Cas' job and stuff? IDK if I am accurate, but it seemed to work well with the plot…so yeah.**

P.S- This is not beta'd. All the mistakes are mine. Feel free to point them out =)

_Disclaimer: I own nothing! Even Castiel ='C_

* * *

_'Cause he gets up in the morning,__  
__And he goes to work at nine,__  
__And he comes back home at five-thirty,__  
__Gets the same train every time.__  
__'Cause his world is built 'round punctuality,__  
__It never fails.  
__And he's oh, so good,__  
__And he's oh, so fine,__  
__And he's oh, so healthy,__  
__In his body and his mind.__  
__He's a well respected man about town,__  
__Doing the best things so conservatively._

_~The Kinks._

* * *

Castiel Novak was sleeping peacefully on his firm mattress, with his left hand holding the soft pillow nearby and his right hand under his head, the white duvet barely covering his body at all. His sleep had an undisturbed continuity, until his alarm clock decided to break that enduringness. He groaned loudly and raised his left hand towards the Johny Mocha bedside table over which the annoying alarm was placed. He peeked at the clock by opening his left eye slowly. It was 7:00 am.

He sat up lazily, stretching his hands widely while taking a long yawn. He got out of his bed, made the bed by placing the pillows together neatly and folded his duvet. He continued doing his normal morning chores lazily, moving around slowly from one place to the other. But there was one job that exhausted him completely. That was setting his hair. Having failed after trying so many times, he gave up and left his hair the way they were.

Castiel is an exceptionally good looking man. He has bright blue that are so vivid that they make everyone think of electricity of laser beam. It has a dark blue rim around the iris and then an even mix of pale blue and white rays in the iris. He was endowed with raven black hair which always rebelled to settle down, so Castiel just went along with the sexy, straight-outta-bed look. His outward appearance radiates a natural calm and serenity, which makes conversation easy and direct.

Castiel always wears his signature beige trench coat. He doesn't mind if it's dirty, he just loves to wear it. He holds a very emotional attachment with that rugged coat. Apparently it was given to him by his mother, Eve.

He has an older brother, Gabriel who owns a renowned bakery- The Sugar Shack. Gabriel is known for his trickster personality. He loves playing pranks on people, some of which prove out to be very deadly. He is an amusingly comical, rib tickling person; easy going and fun to hang out with. Gabriel is not only Castiel's brother, but also his parent. He practically raised Castiel all by him after their mother died. Five years ago, Gabriel adopted two kids- Genesis and Elijah. Their mother happened to be Gabriel's best friend, Jennifer. Due to the unexpected pregnancy, Jen went dark side and went AWOL and Gabriel had no other choice but to adopt the kids for their welfare.

Castiel works as a software developer in IBM and he also has quite a lot experience in engineering. Not to mention, he is extremely good in English. In school days, he would correct his teachers when they were wrong. Yep, he was that good. His friends, or rather classmates (since he never had a friend) always called him a geek and the freak with the weird angel name. And well, he was a geek, but not a freak. But he remained calm and never answered back to any of them and somehow he passed his school years like that. It seemed impossible, but Castiel did it. His main motive was to get through the school years someway or the other, and well, remaining silent seemed like the best plan. It didn't affect his studies, nor did it change him in anyway.

And then came the 'glorious' college years. They were good, really good. He even made a few friends there. But then something quite devastating happened with him. He broke down and he lost track but then, being the strong willed person he was, he managed and bounced back. He tried to forget all, but the books kept reminding him everything.

Castiel is a very punctual person. Due to his punctuality, he is very appreciated and trusted. In a professional world of smart people, his punctuality represents him as a complete professional. Castiel clearly thinks that being late makes you a rude person because you lack consideration and respect for the other person and for the commitment you made to both of you. Since he works in such a professional environment, he also thinks that being late once or twice in your life may be unavoidable but being late consistently makes you unreliable.

Right now, Castiel was in his kitchen, drinking his morning black coffee while solving the crossword puzzle, when his phone rang. He stood up and walked over to the other corner of the room with his coffee in his hand, and grabbed the phone.

"Castiel Novak." He said, his voice slightly gruff and extremely sultry like always.

'_Hey Cas, it's me Anna.'_ Anna was one of the few friends Castiel had made during his college years. Unlike others, she understood him and stood by his side whenever he needed her and helped him make the right decision.

"Hello, Anna. Good morning."

'_Uhh..yeah, not so much. I need your help and don't you dare say no!' _Anna shouted from the other side of the phone.

"Well then, you don't leave me any other choice. What can I do for you?" Castiel asks, taking a sip of his black coffee.

'_You need to repair this guy's computer. Pretty please. I can go but I can't since I have my job interview today. And well, the guy needs his computer quite urgently and I can't hang up on him since he is a very nice guy and not to mention, very hot! And you know really well how my heart goes out for hot guys, so please Cas, will you repair this guy's precious computer for me?' _Anna said the last part with such adorableness to which Castiel couldn't refuse and so he said…

"Yes. Okay, fine. I'll go. Text me the man's name and address. You owe me."

'_When do I NOT owe you Cas? You're a savior! Thanks a lot! I'll text you. Bye!' _And with a final squeal, Anna ended her phone call.

Castiel heaved a sigh and muttered to himself, "Great. Another chore to check off on my list." And with that he continued drinking his coffee.

* * *

**This chapter was more of filler, I agree. But I had to bring Cas in the fic sooner or later, so why not now? It would've been terribly mean of me to make you guys wait for a few more days for Cas' entrance. So here it is! Ta-da! =D**

**And Gabe as a daddy! Yay! I've always wanted to write a daddy version of our beloved Trickster. =D**

**Please review! Whether it's good or bad, I wouldn't mind. But please review. Pretty please ^^**  
**Each reviewer gets a pastry from Gabriel's bakery ;)**

**I hope you guys liked it. =)**

**Thanks a lot.  
Evangeline  
xoxo**


	4. Better things

**I am so sorry for updating so late. You can slap me if you want, I wouldn't mind xD  
I was so stuck between homework and daily chores that I didn't even get time to write. Also, my computer has been messed up just like me xD But now, I can update almost every 4****th**** day since the CM here has extended our summer break by 2 weeks! 2 weeks! That really relieves me. I don't have to do my homework for a while, YAY! =D**

**You guys have thrilled me with the alerts and the favorites! Thanks a lot! It means a lot to me. *cyber hugs from me and kisses from shirtless Misha* ;) **

**And yes, Dean and Cas interaction is in this chapter. I hope you guys like it. =D **

**And nope…this is not beta'd. Feel free to point out the mistakes.**

_**Disclaimer: Sadly, I own nothing. Not even Castiel! *weeps***_

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_Here's wishing you the bluest sky__  
__And hoping something better comes tomorrow__  
__Hoping all the verses rhyme__  
__And the very best of choruses to__  
__Follow all the doubt and sadness__  
__I know that better things are on the way__Here's hoping all the days ahead__  
__Won't be as bitter as the ones behind you__  
__Be an optimist instead__  
__And somehow happiness will find you__  
__Forget what happened yesterday__  
__I know that better things are on the way  
_

_~Better Things by 'the Kinks'._

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Dean sat on the relatively high piano chair, struggling with the song he had been offered to write by Jo. Lyrics have never been easy for him. Last time he was supposed to write an inspirational song based on dreams, and well, he ended up writing a song based on pigs and how every pig dreams of becoming a horse. So yeah, he pretty much sucked as a lyricist.

His brother seemed to have pity on him and so he hired a lyricist for Dean. This guy, Ash, as Sam has mentioned earlier, was very hip and very edgy. He even dressed like that for God's sake. Dean describes him as 'a mullet-wearing Lynyrd Skynyrd roadie'.

Right now, he sat across Dean, with his left hand on his left cheek with 'I am bored!' clearly written on his face. He wished Dean would just hurry up and go with the lyrics and finish the song without being so judgemental. 'It is just a song!' He thought.

Little did he knew, this song is not 'just a song' for Dean. It is very special for him since it is his only chance of retrieving what he has lost.

"I am sorry. I am just a bit blocked here." Dean says, closing his eyes and sighing deeply.

"If you don't like the lyrics dude, be straight with me at least." Ash said, completely irritated.

"No, no, no, no. The lyrics- uhh…they are very powerful." Dean quickly said, hoping not to piss off the mullet-wearing lyricist anymore. He needed this guy right now more than anything. More than apple pie!

"Okay. Maybe you want something more commercial? More 'Northern Remain-y'?" Ash replied, still irritated.

Suddenly, the door bell rang, for which Dean was very grateful since it saved him from the current conversation. He stood up, told Ash to hold that thinly veiled insult for a second, and walked up to the door.

Dean unlocked the door to reveal a lean, blue eyed, trench coated man whose raven black hair was slightly mussed up. He doesn't seem to recognize the person standing in front of him, for which he felt really regretful since how can he forget such a beautiful man.

'_Beautiful? Really, Dean? What the hell is wrong with you? Not to mention, you're calling a guy beautiful!' _Dean thought to himself.

The man tilted his head slightly and stood looking at Dean intently before being the first person between the two to speak up. "Hello. I am Castiel Novak. You must be Dean Winchester, if I am not mistaken?" He said.

"Yes, I am Dean Win-Winchester." _'Great! Stuttering already, Dean?' _Dean mentally slapped himself and continued speaking, "I am sorry but, who are you?"

"Anna didn't call you?"

"I don't know. I haven't checked my messages yet." Dean replied.

"Oh. Well, Anna can't come to today fix your computer so she has sent me instead. She said you needed it quite urgently. Would you seem to mind if I come in?"

"Wha-what? Uhh…no! Not at all. Come on in." Dean said, opening the gate wider to allow the stranger some extra space to enter the apartment. "Why couldn't she come today?" Dean said as he closed the door.

"She has a job interview today. And tomorrow. And the day after tomorrow. So she sent me instead." Castiel said as he walked up to the piano and removed his trench coat and placed it over the black grand piano. Dean quickly gathered the trench coat in his hands and placed it on the couch besides Ash. There are four non-living things that Dean loves the most; they are his baby, i.e, the Impala, food, the amulet given to him by Sam, and his Steinway & Sons' limited edition 125th anniversary piano. He can't even bear to see the slightest of stain on that precious piano.

"Excuse me?" Ash said, to gain some attention.

"Oh. Hello." Castiel said turning towards Ash, then turning back to Dean, to which Ash rolled his eyes. "So, where is your information processing system?" Castiel asked.

"Huh? Information-what?" Dean asked, confused.

"Information processing system. Your computer. Where is it?" Castiel asked, making a face which reminded Dean of Sam's bitch face #13.

"Oh. It's on the table, right there." Dean replied, pointing to the table while getting back to what he was doing before this azure eyed person knocked on his door.

Castiel walked towards the table and grabbed the sleek black laptop placed on it. He glanced at Dean, who was currently seated on the piano stool, struggling with whatever he was doing. Dean was taller than Castiel; 6'4'' maybe? Castiel isn't like one of those guys who practically start drooling over someone they've just met a second ago. But there was something about Dean that somehow, someway or the other made him do that. Maybe it was that light brown hair or that tanned skin or that taut muscled body or maybe it was those pair of light green eyes that were as luscious as a grass on a summer's day. Whatever it was, it sure made Castiel's heart skip a beat. And yes, Castiel was gay. He was completely and utterly gay, and he doesn't regret it even for a second. Actually, he would serve as a perfect poster boy for 'Gay Pride'.

Realizing he had been staring at Dean for quit e a long time, he quickly broke away his stare and started working on the laptop.

Dean, on the other hand, surprisingly didn't catch Castiel staring at him. He was way too messed up in those abominable lyrics. If he could, he would write those lyrics on hundred pages and then burn those papers one by one which will earn him that sheer pleasure. They were that bad. But who was he to judge? He himself was quite an atrocious lyricist. But hey, he didn't go boasting around saying 'I am the best lyricist in the world! My lyrics' main content is my perverted thoughts which I used to fantasize about when I was a teen.' And since he has no choice left but to go along with these dreadful lyrics or become 'the once famous celebrity and now nothing but the creepy guy who lives all alone in his apartment'; he chose the first option.

He started playing the tune on his piano while singing the lyrics as Ash walked up to him and stood beside the piano.

"_Give it up, I am a bad hot witch  
I look real good but I am a nasty bitch  
I can scream and claw and curdle your blood  
But you'll die on your way back into love." _

Dean ended the song with a look of complete disgust on his face, which not-so-luckily, was spotted by Ash. Ash glared back at him intensely and said, "No. Start on the minor third. Try that."

"Right. So:  
_Give it up. I am bad hot witch.  
I look real good but I am a nasty bitch—" _Dean sang, or more like said since he didn't even try to sing that.

"No! You're missing the whole point. From the first line _'Give it up, I am a bad hot witch' _is okay. But then it should be—"

"_But with some magic, I just might switch." _Ash and Dean, perplexed by what just happened turned around to see Castiel humming while working on the computer.

Dean, surprised, but impressed by those lyrics, asked Castiel, "Sorry Cas, but what did you just say?"

Realizing that he had been singing to himself and has without permit continued those (painful and monstrous he would say) lyrics, he moved his gaze slowly from the computer and towards Dean, to see both of the men, staring at him intently.

"Uhhh…I don't remember?" He replied, unsure, with a look of the deer caught in the headlights.

"I think it was-_ 'but with some magic, I just might switch'_. That is actually quite intriguing." Dean said, amazed by what his computer guy (well, not particularly computer guy. He was rather a substitute computer guy) was capable of.

"Enough!" Ash said, barging in the conversation. "That is not my lyric!" He almost shouted.

Dean flinched slightly by the sudden presentation of anger and said, "I know. But it is a lovely phrase."

"Look, if you can't handle anything but moon and June…why don't we just let the computer guy finish the lyrics?" Ash said, first facing Dean, and then Castiel.

'_Huh! Computer guy?' _Cas thought to himself before smirking slightly.

"Computer guy. '_Give it up, I am bad hot witch. But with some magic, I just might switch.' _Finish it." Ash said.

"I am just here to simply do my job and that is to fix this computer." Castiel said simply, before turning his attention back to the laptop.

"And you are doing a fine job, if I must say so." Dean replied, charmingly.

"This is it!" Ash surrendered, raising his hands. "This is a waste of time!"

Castiel suddenly turned around to face the two men and started saying _"Let's fly my broom to the stars above, and we'll charm our way back into love." _

Dean looked at Castiel with wide eyes and was very much impressed by this guy's potentiality. He turned his gaze slowly from Castiel to Ash, who stood near the white oak door.

"What's next? 'Feelings, Nothing more than feelings'?" Ash sighed deeply before making his way out of the apartment, slamming the door so hard that for a moment Dean thought that his savings were going to get wasted on the broken door.

Ash was completely filled with distaste. How can a trench coat wearing computer guy match up to his level? HIS level? _'My lyrics were better.'_ Well, that was what Ash thought.

Meanwhile in the apartment, Castiel was completely blown out of the water and started ranting to Dean, "I am so sorry, Mr. Winchester. I shouldn't have gotten involved. I don't have a filtering system. I am—"

Castiel was cut off Dean, who started speaking, "Hey, hey, Cas. It's fine. It's absolutely fine. That guy was a douche bag, anyway. His lyrics were disgusting. And well, he had to get back to his job at Hallmark anyway. Listen, have you ever done any writing?"

"Well, everybody's done some writing at some point, you know? That was a very silly question. But to point out, not everybody; the rate of illiteracy is going up in this country." Castiel replied very seriously. "I am just a software engineer at IBM. Although, writing is, what you may call it, a hobby."

"Did you ever hear of the band 'Northern Remains'?" Dean asked, following Castiel who was walking up to the couch to retrieve his trench coat.

"Yes. Yes, absolutely. I mean, who hasn't? I wasn't a big fan of them, though." Castiel turned around, facing Dean, and continued to speak while trying to wear his beloved trench coat, "My brother, whereas, loves them. Ironically enough, his partner turned out to be a great 'Northern Remains' fan too. They wore these ridiculous outfits and-" Castiel suddenly caught the sight of a 'Northern Remains' poster where one of the guys actually looked like Dean. Coming to his senses, Castiel coughed nervously and asked, "Please express in words that you are not one of them?"

Dean chuckled at the adorable puppy face that Castiel has made.  
_'Wait, what? Adorable? Seriously, Dean? You are turning fucking gay, dude!"  
"Huh…well, I AM gay. Or bi."  
_Snapping back into reality, Dean replied, "Well, if that's what makes you happy. But I AM one of 'them'. And well, the outfits were very much in fashion then."  
"My apologies."  
"Ahhh…no worries. But I would love to talk to you about maybe writing some lyrics."  
"But I don't write lyrics."  
"Well, we could kick some ideas around."  
"I don't think so. I appreciate the offer though. I have to go and visit my brother and 'babysit' his children." Castiel replied, walking to the door and hurrying out of the apartment. He peeked back in and said, "By the way, your computer is fixed. It was just a little problem in the RAM."

Dean, however, did not want to give up since giving up isn't in his blood, so he followed Castiel down the corridor.

"Okay, listen." Castiel turned around to see Dean standing behind him. "Do you know who Jo Beth is?" Dean asked.  
"Absolutely. She is some blonde hippie-like pop star whose music videos contain some rather disturbing elements. It is still way beyond my thinking how my niece and nephew like her." Castiel tilted his head and twitched those cerulean eyes slightly.

Dean chuckled again at Castiel's reply. He found Castiel simply amusing. Maybe Castiel doesn't seem to realize it, but he has always been a pleasant company. "Okay, well. So I am writing a song for her, so if you change your mind and the idea of working with me is of any interest at all, please just call, okay?" Castiel nodded his head queasily and started pressing the elevator button multiple times. "Or if you just fancy a good laugh, I am performing at the Hilton tonight."

"Well, thank you. I will think about it although I can't assure you that I will accept this offer since I have a job and—" Castiel replied politely, before stepping into the elevator.

"Okay. Yes. Here's my card." Dean handed his card to Castiel, who took it courteously.

"Goodbye Dean. Thank you, again." Castiel said with a faint smile.  
"Bye Cas." Dean replied with a full, beamed-up smile.

Dean hopes, really hopes that Castiel accepts his offer. Because if he does, both of their lives are going to change entirely.

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**Ash as a lyricist? I know you guys must be thinking of that. Ash should've been some computer guy who works along with Cas but I couldn't think of any other SPN guy other than Ash who was edgy and hip. So I just went along with it. And since this is an AU fic, I hope this is acceptable.**

**Was it good? Bad? Very bad? Please review! =D  
Reviews make me happy in the same way burgers make Cas happy. =D**

**And I fudging love you Extra-fried-noodles! You are awesome! *cyber hugs* =D**

**Thanks again.  
Evangline  
xoxo**


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